China's bioeconomy will witness more dynamic development, with
its output reaching new heights in the coming years, the country's
science and technology chief said yesterday.
"The total output value of the bioindustry will reach 500 to 800
billion yuan by 2010. The industry value will be about 1,600
billion yuan by 2015. By 2020, the value of the segment will hit 2
to 3 trillion yuan, accounting for more than 4 percent of the
country's domestic gross product," Wan Gang, minister of science
and technology, said in Tianjin yesterday at the opening ceremony
of the 2007 International Conference on Bioeconomy.
China will adopt a three-step strategy to strengthen its science
and technology muscle, according to Wan.
The first step, from now until 2010, will mostly involve
technology accumulation. In the second stage, until 2015, China
will emerge as a world power in the area and in the third, until
2020, the country will focus on holding on to the top position.
The minister said China has set 10 priorities, such as
agriculture-oriented biotechnology, medical biotechnology, biofuel
technology, environmental biotech and marine biotech, in driving
its bioindustry.
The country is also attaching more importance to making
breakthroughs in 35 categories of key biotechnologies, such as stem
cell and genetic modification technology, Wan said.
The science and technology chief contended that to further drive
the bioindustry forward, one of the keys lies in improving the
financing mechanism and creating a better investment
environment.
Echoing Wan, State Councillor Chen Zhili said more favorable
fiscal, taxation, financing and intellectual property right
protection policies are needed to cultivate a better industrial
environment for bioeconomy.
Biotechnology can help lower the cost of agricultural
production, facilitate medical revolution, upgrade industrial
manufacturing, reduce emission and ease the problem of energy
shortage, said Xu Guanhua, former minister of science and
technology.
(China Daily June 27, 2007)